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Nigerian terrorist group that kidnapped girls launches deadly attack on village; U.S. pledges help

Nigeria Anatomy of a Kidnapping

In this photo taken Monday, mothers and some of the kidnapped school girls who managed to escape gather under a tree prior to the visit of Nana Shettima, the wife of Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima, in Chibok, Nigeria. The plight of the 276 kidnapped girls â and the failure of the Nigerian military to find them â has drawn international attention to an escalating Islamic extremist insurrection that has killed more than 1,500 so far this year.
(Associated Press)

The Boko Haram terrorist group attacked a Nigerian village used as a base for the search of hundreds of kidnapped girls, killing at least 150 people, CNN reports.

Meanwhile, the U.S. will offer assistance to Nigeria in its search for the more than 270 girls who were abducted from a school last month by the Boko Haram terrorist group, according to news reports. Britain and China also is providing assistance.

CNN says the attack on Gamboru Ngala lasted hours and that some victims were burned alive. According to CNN:

Wearing military uniforms, the militants arrived with three armored personnel carriers, they said. They shouted "Allahu Akbar" -- "God is great" -- and opened up on the market, firing rocket-propelled grenades and tossing improvised explosive devices, witnesses said. Some marketgoers tried to take shelter in shops only to be burned alive when the gunmen set fire to a number of the businesses, the witnesses said. ... The fighters also attacked the police station during the 12-hour assault, initially facing stiff resistance. They eventually used explosives to blow the roof off the building, witnesses said. Fourteen police officers were found dead inside, they said. The final death toll could be closer to 300, Nigerian Sen. Ahmed Zanna told CNN.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Obama administration will send military, intelligence and law enforcement advisors to Nigeria. However, the Pentagon says the U.S. has no plans to conduct any military operations, according to the Associated Press.

The search for the missing girls is gaining worldwide attention. On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge of Cleveland and several other members of Congress met with Nigerian officials to discuss how the international community can work together to rescue the girls.

During an appearance in Los Angeles, President Obama said the kidnapping of the girls and other conflicts around the world are a sign "we have not extinguished man's darkest impulses," Reuters reports.

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